Integrated system and method for the flexible use of electricity

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated plant which comprises a plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne and a separating device for separating ethyne from the reaction mixture of the electrothermic production of ethyne while obtaining at least one stream of gas containing hydrogen and/or hydrocarbons, the integrated plant having a device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network, to which device a stream of gas containing hydrogen and/or hydrocarbons is fed from the separating device via at least one conduit. This integrated plant affords flexible use of electricity by a method in which a stream of gas, containing hydrogen and/or hydrocarbons, is fed into a natural gas network from the separating device and the amount and/or the composition of the stream of gas fed into the natural gas network is changed in dependence on the electricity supply.

1 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An integrated plant, comprising a plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne and a separating device for separating ethyne from the reaction mixture of the electrothermic production of ethyne while obtaining at least one stream of gas containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, wherein the integrated plant has a device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network, to which device said stream of gas containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both is fed from said separating device via at least one conduit. 
     
     
         27 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises at least one reservoir for hydrogen. 
     
     
         28 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises at least one reservoir for a hydrocarbon-containing gas. 
     
     
         29 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a device for mixing gases. 
     
     
         30 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a methanation reactor for reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to methane. 
     
     
         31 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a Fischer-Tropsch reactor for reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         32 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a hydrogenation reactor for reacting hydrogen and unsaturated hydrocarbons to saturated hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         33 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , additionally comprising a plant for electricity generation, to which at least one stream of gas containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both is fed from the separating device via a conduit. 
     
     
         34 . The integrated plant of  claim 33 , wherein said plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne comprises a steam generator, with which steam is generated from the waste heat of the electrothermic process, said plant for electricity generation comprises a device in which electricity is generated from steam, and the integrated plant comprises a steam conduit, with which steam generated in the steam generator is fed to said device in which electricity is generated from steam. 
     
     
         35 . The integrated plant of  claim 33 , wherein said plant for electricity generation is a gas-and-steam turbine power plant. 
     
     
         36 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said integrated plant is connected to a weather forecasting unit. 
     
     
         37 . The integrated plant of  claim 26 , wherein said plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne comprises an arc reactor. 
     
     
         38 . A method for the flexible use of electricity, wherein an electrothermic production of ethyne is carried out in an integrated plant as claimed in  claim 26 , a stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is fed into a natural gas network from the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network, and for said stream of gas fed into the natural gas network the amount, the composition or both are changed in dependence on the electricity supply. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein, in an integrated plant as claimed in claim  1 , the plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne is operated in dependence on the electricity supply, at least one stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is fed from the separating device to the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network, and a stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is fed into a natural gas network from said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein, in an integrated plant as claimed in claim  8 , an electrothermic production of ethyne is carried out, the ratio of the amount of gas fed from the separating device to the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network and the amount of gas fed from said separating device to the plant for electricity generation is changed in dependence on the electricity supply, and a stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is fed into a natural gas network from said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein, in an integrated plant as claimed in claim  12 , an electrothermic production of ethyne is carried out in an arc reactor, the gas mixture emerging from said arc reactor is mixed with a hydrocarbon-containing gas or a hydrocarbon-containing liquid for cooling and providing a reaction mixture, for said gas or liquid the composition, the amount or both are changed in dependence on the electricity supply, at least one stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is separated from said reaction mixture in the separating device and fed to the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network, and a stream of gas, containing hydrogen, hydrocarbons or both, is fed into a natural gas network from said device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a reservoir for hydrogen and, from this reservoir, hydrogen is introduced into a natural gas pipeline, and the amount of hydrogen introduced is adjusted in dependence on the gas flow in the natural gas pipeline to keep the Wobbe index, the calorific value, the gas density or a combination of these gas properties in the natural gas pipeline predetermined limits. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises separate reservoirs for hydrogen and hydrocarbon-containing gases and a device for mixing gases that is connected to said reservoirs and, in the device for mixing gases, hydrogen and hydrocarbon-containing gases are mixed in a ratio adjusted to keep the Wobbe index, the calorific value, the density a combination of these gas properties within predetermined limits for the resulting gas mixture. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a methanation reactor for reacting hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane, a stream of gas containing hydrogen is fed from the separating device to said methanation reactor and methane generated in said methanation reactor is fed into the natural gas network. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a Fischer-Tropsch reactor for reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons, a stream of gas containing hydrogen is fed from the separating device to said Fischer-Tropsch reactor and gaseous hydrocarbons generated in said Fischer-Tropsch reactor are fed into the natural gas network. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the device for introducing a gas into a natural gas network comprises a hydrogenation reactor, a stream of gas containing unsaturated hydrocarbons is fed from the separating device to said hydrogenation reactor and saturated hydrocarbons generated in said hydrogenation reactor are fed into the natural gas network. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the electricity supply is calculated in advance from the data of a weather forecast. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne draws electricity from a gas power plant that is operated with gas from the natural gas network in dependence on the electricity supply. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , comprising the steps of
 a) setting a first threshold value for an electricity supply and a second threshold value for an electricity supply,   b) determining the electricity supply,   c) changing the electrical power output of the gas power plant in dependence on the electricity supply if the electricity supply exceeds the first threshold value and changing the output of the plant for the electrothermic production of ethyne in dependence on the electricity supply if the electricity supply is below the second threshold value, and   d) repeating steps b) and c).   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value are the same.